HitPoint Health Weekly: 5/14 Clone Hero, Quest for Meaning, Digestive Enzymes, Oregano Oil and more

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week I spent an inordinate amount of time and money on getting everything set up to play Clone Hero on my steam deck. I got two Wii guitar hero guitars and adapters, and spent a long time downloading a bunch of songs and tracks for Clone Hero, as I discuss below. I also spent some time listening to some Great Courses lectures, one in particular, and spent some time analyzing and thinking about longevity focused exercises for aging adults, and to prevent that aging. Let's get into it!

Stuff I Did This Week

Clone Hero

Like I mentioned above, this was not easy or cheap for me to set up. If you have a guitar hero guitar laying around, look into selling it if you aren't using it regularly, because you can probably get some money out of it! But I would recommend to anyone to look into getting Clone Hero running if you have a guitar or two around. It's a great party game, and you have access to nearly all the songs out there, which is awesome.

I imported over 1000 songs, many of which are Djent, hardcore and deathcore, as well as technical death metal. Genres like that are what guitar hero excels at, considering the prevalence of guitar, as well as some 80s music. I also got some video game and TV music, which is also fun for parties. I have always been a big guitar hero fan, even going to some local tournaments when I was like 12. So relearning this game from my childhood has been a pleasure, and it you have any interest in it, or play Guitar Hero when you go to Dave and Busters, I recommend it, if you have the cash to afford it.

Quest for Meaning

I got this Lecture on Audible, it is called the Quest for Meaning: Values, Ethics, and the Modern Experience. It is read by Professor Robert H. Kane. A few lectures in, I realized that it was a lecture from 1999 which shifted the tone of it for me a bit. The idea of "modernity" and what exactly that means, and how different it was 24 years ago. Especially with the huge increase in the use and reliance upon technology that someone from 1999 could only begin to imagine.

But when I thought about how old the lecture was, it made me want to stop listening to it because it isn't completely applicable to right now. Then, I thought to myself... why does that matter? It is still a valuable work that definitely has insights into the human condition. Is the work of Aristotle irrelevant because of its age? I wonder what it is that makes me think that way when it comes to the consumption of media, in particular books. I find that I struggle to read stuff that isn't new. But I decided that I was going to listen to the lecture series all the way through and honestly, other than a few things that directly give away the time period, it is much better than I antipated and holds up very well. I think that it is time for me to read through Plato's Republic.

Quit My Job

Speaking of the quest for meaning, I decided that my current job wasn't feeding my drive for meaning and purpose and was in fact detracting from it. That tends to be the case for many jobs in this day and age, which is a tragedy. Work is something that should contribute to the drive to live, and add purpose and meaning. It doesn't have to be core to your identity but it should feel like you're contributing something not just wasting your life, doing nothing but staring at a screen and typing meaningless numbers.

My new job has a lot to do with analyzing and looking at numbers as well, but for a purpose that I feel is above Acute Medicine, which is where I was working before. My long term goal is to end up in a field that is closer tied to preventative medicine, which I think is the model that will be utilized in the future. However, protection and conservation of Florida waters is also a good and important thing, and I am glad to be a part of that moving forward.

Weekly Recommendations

Enzymes

I'm sure that you have heard me mention my love for enzymes before. I carry around a big bottle of BiOptimizer's MassZymes in my bag, and I often try to convince people to take them prior to (or during) a meal. But why would I do that? Well, enzymes are important in the breakdown of things in our gut, and the absorption of the nutrients in the things that we eat. There is some research to suggest that enhancing the breakdown and absorption of nutrients actually, in turn, leads to a reduction in free radicals and other inflammation causing agents that may occur when food is not properly or optimally broken down, which may lead to agonists leaving through the blood-brain barrier, wreaking havoc on the system.

There are many different kinds of enzymes and they all have similar, but different effects and reasons that you may want to take them. I recommend doing research on your own, thinking about any issues that you may have with certain problem foods in your diet, and what causes you to feel bloating or any kind of gut distention, or what foods make you feel generally sluggish. Also consider the timing and the size of your meals, as your gut is more primed to break down foods at certain times of the day according to your circadian rhythm. That is partially why you hear the recommendation to eat at the same times every day. Here is a brief breakdown, although I may get into more detail on the subject at a later point.

1. Digestive Enzymes: These enzymes include proteases (for protein digestion), amylases (for carbohydrate digestion), and lipases (for fat digestion).
2. Proteolytic Enzymes: These are the enzymes that work specifically for protein breakdown and absorption. Usually, they're taken between meals so they can get into the bloodstream and work throughout the body.
3. Lactase: This is an enzyme that helps digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Often to be taken right before dairy consumption. In raw milk, there are enzymes within that help with the absorption of milk proteins and sugars, but in our processed milks they aren't in there any longer. Many blends of enzymes include this, but it is also relatively cheap in store for those who are lactose intolerant.
4. Bromelain and Papain: These are enzymes found in pineapple and papaya. They're a type of proteolytic enzymes (protein breakdown) so they can help reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery from surgery or injury. This includes the breakdown of muscle post workout! They are usually taken on an empty stomach.
5. Serrapeptase: Serrapeptase is an enzyme that comes from silkworms but is now produced in labs. That is an interesting origin, no? It's used for its anti-inflammatory properties and may help with conditions like sinusitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or even arterial plaques and heart disease! It's also taken on an empty stomach.

There are many more forms and types and variations of enzymes but these are some of the more known and valuable ones to consider supplementation with, as they are beneficial in a myriad of ways. If you may have noticed that many of these enzymes are used in digestion of proteins and sugars, but one of my favorites, that isn't exactly an enzyme but can often be found in enzyme formulas, is Ox Bile, which is used to assist with the absorption of fats, and fat metabolism. In combination with lipase, the enzymes that also assist with fat breakdown and absorption, is can be a potent tool. It can be particularly useful for anyone who may be considering a keto diet, or anyone who may be struggling with heart burn or indigestion, as this is often caused by too little stomach acid, directly contraditory to popluar belief.

Oregano Oil

Oregano oil is something that has been on my radar for a while. When the book Super Gut came out a year or two ago, I did all of the protocols within the book. This included the gut cleansing protocol of high dose oregano oil, thyme oil, and berberine and tumeric. The product I used for that is called Candibactin AR and BR and it really did a number on those bad bacteria. I'm not kidding, if you think or have been told that you have sibo before, I highly recommend getting a bottle of each and taking it as directed for the cycle. My digestion has never been the same. But, the oregano oil in particular is what really caught my attention, and I take it off and on whenever I feel something unusual with my gut health and digestion. While researching this herbal remedy, there are several things that came to the forefront that I thought would be good to include about its benefits. Oregano oil can help with:

1. Inflammation: Oregano oil contains compounds like carvacrol and thymol, which have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Some people use it topically (diluted with a carrier oil) for skin conditions or muscle pain, but it can also be taken internally for systemic inflammation.
2. SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): SIBO is a condition where too many bacteria inhabit the small intestine, leading to symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. I've been recommended oregano oil as a natural treatment for SIBO because of its antimicrobial properties. It's thought that it may help to rebalance gut bacteria, which has been the case for me, but more research is needed in this area.
3. Other Gut Health Benefits: Besides potentially helping with SIBO, oregano oil's antimicrobial properties might also be useful in combating other harmful bacteria, parasites, and fungi in the gut, promoting a healthier gut microbiome. However, it's important to note that it can also kill beneficial bacteria, which is why in Super Gut it is considered to be an "herbal antibiotic" so it's usually recommended to take a probiotic supplement a few hours apart from the oregano oil to replenish the good bacteria. However, Dr. William Davis of super gut recommends this a few days after the protocol begins to ensure that it isn't the bad bacteria that gets the benefits, or that it negatively effects digestion with all of that going on down there.
4. Respiratory Health: Oregano oil is also traditionally used to support respiratory health. Its antimicrobial properties can help fight off bacteria or viruses that might cause respiratory infections, and its anti-inflammatory effects can help reduce symptoms like coughing and sore throat.

Weekly Workout and Health Tips

Grip Strength

There have been many studies showing the links between grip strength and longevity. Why is that? And how do you increase your grip strength?

Grip strength is considered a strong predictor of overall muscle strength and health. It has been associated with longevity in several scientific studies. The reason behind this is that grip strength can reflect not only the health of your muscles but also your cardiovascular health and even your nervous system health.

A weak grip can indicate sarcopenia (age related loss of muscle mass), which is a common issue as people age. It can also signal other health problems, including cardiovascular disease or decreased brain health. Thus, maintaining or improving your grip strength can be a way to monitor and maintain overall health and longevity.

Grip strength can be improved with exercises that challenge your hand and forearm muscles. This can be as simple as squeezing a stress ball, using a hand gripper, or doing wrist curls with a light dumbbell.

Turkish Get-Ups

Turkish get-ups are another exercise correlated with longevity. It is a complex exercise that involves multiple movements and muscle groups. It requires and builds strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination, all of which are crucial for overall health and longevity.

1. Strength: The Turkish get-up strengthens many muscles throughout your body, including those in your core, shoulders, and hips. Strong muscles help you maintain functional independence as you age.
2. Flexibility: This exercise improves joint flexibility, which can help prevent injuries and improve overall mobility.
3. Balance and Coordination: The Turkish get-up requires a high degree of balance and coordination. Both of these abilities tend to decline with age, contributing to falls and related injuries. Regularly practicing exercises that challenge your balance and coordination can help maintain these skills.

Thanks for reading, and that will be it for this week! I hope that you have enjoyed, that you have learned something, and that you share this with a friend or two. Thank you for all that you do, and thank you for your desire to learn.

And as always, thank you for taking the time to be here, reading my newsletter! Keep an eye out for this Thursday, I will have a new article coming out.

I have decided to release long form articles about more specific topics biweekly on Thursday afternoons, and Sunday morning at 10am every Sunday, to release this newsletter. I hope that you are getting something out of it.

To your HitPoints!